It has been announced that the TV anime "Kowloon Generic Romance," based on the latest work by Mayuzuki Jun, known for the popular manga "Love is Like After the Rain," will be broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 2025. It has also been announced that additional cast members will appear: Ryotaro Okiayu, Taito Ban as Tao Nguyen, Aoi Koga as Yang Ming, and Sayumi Suzushiro as Oguro.
A teaser visual was also released, depicting Kujirai Reiko and Kudo Hatsu standing in the back alleys of Kowloon. It is accompanied by the copy, "Love will unravel the secret." The first promotional video, featuring new characters Hebinuma Miyuki, Thao Nguyen, Yang Ming, and Oguro, was also released on YouTube. When Reiko realizes her love for Kudo, saying, "I love this person," the promotional video takes an ominous turn, and she is confused when she finds a photo of Kudo and a woman who looks exactly like her. As she traces her vague memories, new characters such as the suspicious Hebinuma and Nguyen appear, deepening the mystery even further.
Okiayu, who plays Hebinuma, commented, "I was previously involved in the audio recording of something like an image PV, and now I'm thankfully getting the opportunity to appear in the anime version as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of atmosphere will be portrayed in the closed, temporary Kowloon. A live-action movie has also been announced, so it looks like it will be quite a hot topic! I can't help but be curious about how each part will be expressed and put together. I hope you will all look forward to it."
Saka, who plays Nguyen, said, "The first thing that made a big impression on me was that during breaks in the dubbing of this film, the cast members couldn't stop talking to each other during breaks as they considered the story and the meaning of the words. I feel that this was because everyone was so drawn into the delicate, somewhat nostalgic atmosphere of Kowloon that this work has, and we were all able to share the same atmosphere. The character Nguyen, which I will be playing, holds the key to the story, but he himself is also seeking something and acts accordingly. He is a life-sized young man who is not fully mature. I hope you will pay attention to how he becomes involved in the story. I hope you enjoy this "adult love romance" where the characters you can empathize with and the way you see them will change depending on the viewer!"
Koga, who plays Yang Ming, said, "When I came across the original work, it was the first time I felt like I wanted to know so much, but also didn't want to know at the same time...! It's a work that you can become so engrossed in, and you can become immersed in the story. Yang Ming is a boy who naturally brightens up the people around him just by being there, and for some reason, you can feel like you can believe every word he says and every expression he gives. I hope you'll look forward to seeing how the characters live out their lives in the animation!"
Suzuyo, who plays Koguro, commented, "When I read the original work, I was instantly captivated by the overwhelmingly beautiful illustrations and the atmosphere that can only be created in this work. I had originally seen Mayuzuki-sensei's other works and loved them, so I remember being very excited when I heard that I had passed the role of Koguro. What does it mean to be true to yourself? What is your true self, anyway... I hope you will watch to see how Koguro lives in the world of Kowloon, where the emotions of many different people coexist. Thank you very much!"
Director Iwasaki Yoshiaki, who is working on the anime, said, "The entire staff is working hard to express in animation the original work, which is full of charm, such as the love romance and suspense elements surrounding Kudo, Reiko, and the deep atmosphere of the Kowloon Walled City buildings and the lives of its residents that envelop them all. I hope you will enjoy it. I appreciate your support. I had the opportunity to visit both locations, and there were many heart-warming experiences. I can't wait for the day when this passion reaches everyone. Please look forward to it!"
The series is a mystery love romance that has been serialized in Weekly Young Jump (Shueisha) since November 2019. Kujirai Reiko, who works at a real estate agency in the nostalgic city of Kowloon, has a slight crush on her senior at work, Kudo Hatsu. When she happens to find a photo, she learns that Kudo once had a fiance who looks just like her... As the past, present, and future intertwine, with lost memories, the true identity of another self, and a huge secret hidden in the city of Kowloon, love will unravel the secrets. The series has sold over 1.2 million copies in total.
The anime will feature Haruka Shiraishi as Reiko Kujirai and Tomokazu Sugita as Hatsu Kudo. It is also being talked about as being adapted into a live-action movie in 2025, starring Riho Yoshioka and Koji Mizukami.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki▽Series composition and script: Jin Tanaka▽Character design: Yuka Shibata▽Art director: Yuji Kaneko▽Animation production: Arbo Animation
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Reiko Kujirai: Haruka Tomokazu Sugita: ▽Hatsu Kudo: Ryotaro Okiayu ▽Thao Nguyen: Taito Ban ▽Yang Ming: Aoi Koga ▽Oguro: Sayumi Suzushiro
